Thread by @AbhishekPonia

Content Creation as a career - the UNTOLD REALITY you should know

A THREAD
#threadsbyAP

This thread has been written with insights from a candid discussion I had with Manish @join2manish , who works with many successful & upcoming content creators!

Being a Content Creator has become a very lucrative career path for many! The number of creators has grown exponentially in the last couple of years.

However, this path is NOT AS EAST AS IT SEEMS!

It is not just about posting a video / photo / text on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn... Followers will not come pouring in just cos you posted something.

Here are a few things you should know before you embark on the path to become a Content Creator:

1. Content creation is an extremely time-consuming endeavour! Even if you start small, very soon you will have to put in hours of work everyday towards it... it will become a full time job very soon.

2. Ideating, scripting, shooting, editing, & marketing the content - all this is a part of the process! You need to know / learn all of it.

3. The most important part of the Creator’s life is BUILDING A COMMUNITY.
All the successful content creators vouch for this.

4. Fan loyalty can be TEMPORARY! The audience can easily move to another creator from time to time, if they aren’t excited by your content anymore (audiences evolve too).

5. MONETISATION- You cannot & will not earn money from Day 1! Infact you might not be making money even after a year. There is no fixed formula to determine when you will make enough money as a creator!

6. The Creators who started 5-7 years ago had an advantage - they were among the first movers! They also had more time to figure things out.
Today the landscape is completely different. Competition is high & many who start today fail quickly.

7. The audiences consuming content are evolving rapidly!
Ex: There is a reason why Reels has become the dominant engagement driver on Instagram. This wasn’t the case earlier.

Hence, it is NOT EASY! So should you give up on your dream of becoming a Creator? Definitely NO!
Here are a few tips to make it big as a Content Creator:

a. First & foremost, IDENTIFY YOUE NICHE! The content creation scene is heavily crowded now. If you don’t stand out from the crowd, you will never get noticed!

A great example - @abhiandniyu who chose a niche that stands out completely! The content is so fresh & different... They started on Instagram & experienced rapid growth in the first year itself.

Anushka @anushkarathod98 has taken a serious topic & given it a twist to create insightful content on Instagram.

b. Read, learn & understand the social media platforms deeply! All platforms have resources aimed at helping creators use the platform well. Understand the nitty-gritty of content needed for each platform.

Study the toolkits provided by the platforms closely... and use the knowledge to grow.
Ofcourse the creativity & story side of things is completely on you.

c. Get your gear in place! It doesn’t have to be expensive, can be just your phone. But the quality of content in terms of audio & video has to be good.
A video with bad audio / video or a photo that isn’t clear will immediately be ignored!

d. ENGAGE with both your followers & other accounts in the same space. The sense of community is built from this.

e. BE CONSISTENT!

Gaurav @TechnicalGuruji is one of the most consistent content creators! He has created a schedule for himself & posts without fail.
He posts 2 videos on YouTube EVERYDAY 🤯

f. Use data & feedback to better understand your audience, intelligently! The demographic, their comments, the metrics, etc - use the info to figure what content could be of value to them... how relatable & attractive.

Ankur Sir @warikoo has closely understood the pulse of his audience, to create valuable content.
He is also one of the few creators who makes customised content for each platform - LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter.
No wonder he has a strong audience on each pltfrm

CA Rachana Ranade @rachana_ranade not only picked a niche which people wanted info on, but she also uses feedback from her audience to determine what content she needs to create next.

g. Capitalise on TRENDS! Every other week there is a trending topic on social media which everyone is talking about. Can you possibly integrate it into your content? Or create something that people want more of?
This could work wonders.

h. EVOLVE in your journey! If you keep doing what you were doing 3 years ago, sooner or later your audience will move on to other creators! Incorporate new dimensions, try new things, Evolve!

Example - @BeerBicepsGuy started his YouTube channel around fitness! Over time he has added various dimensions - fashion, self care, life skills, motivation, success, etc. His audience has grown & continues to grow.

BONUS: Do not compare yourself with other creators in terms of number of followers! Compete on Quality of content! Stay away from jealousy & negativity :)

The journey of Content Creation requires as much effort & toil as any other profession! It is Not Easy!
If you take it casually, chances are you will not go far! But like everything in life, with dedication & smart work you can achieve success!

END!